Interdimensional Games Inc.

Consortium: The Tower Early Access ALPHA 1.5 is live. Lots of bug fixes and general gameplay and content improvements and polish. Estimated amount of gameplay for Act 1 is 15-20 hours viewforum.php?f=157

Alignments
-Comparison of CG1 versus CG2 with import:
1) John and Yanko shouldn't have -3 on import.
2) I don't really see the sense in importing characters that are dead.
3) Alignment only shows two characters. If -10, it only shows -.
-When I got XO-1'd, I saw Kiril get +15 or something like that. Kiril is dead. It would be nice if the function that handles alignment changes verifies they're alive before doing it.

Bots
-They like to congregate which makes them prime targets for grenades. A single shot from a stock KAR is enough to cause this behavior. Perhaps the difference between "loud" and "soft" is too great? These are the only two maps I've seen it happen on:
--Hotel Park: https://youtu.be/1dskbCtKvns
--Hotel Interior: https://youtu.be/hflnZoVwAnw
-A lot of Odin's crew seem to have a Strommon rifle + ammo in addition to their KAR/Combat Shotgun. You'd think they'd only have their primary weapon. If they had a secondary, it would be like a pistol or something.
-I have yet to see one surrender/run in fear even with 93 of their comrades dead and way upgraded equipment so they couldn't possibly kill me. The morale system should perhaps be tweaked to make fear/surrender more common.
-When you snipe them from a long ways away, they instantly know exactly where you are. There should try to run for cover first, then a period of where they're trying to figure out where you are (calculated based on your concealment), then they should engage.
-Odin still has no inventory:
--no shields
--no weapon
--no ammo
--no Red Transponder key

Engineering System
-I think the increase in requirements for engineering points are okay so long as the upgrades we see are the same ones going to the end of the game (or at least well into Act 2).
-RE:energy requirements for engineering system: I'm mixed on this point because one can easily balance the collection of points with the high consumption rate of the Tactical HUD. If you don't use the Tactical HUD, however, the energy requirements seem way too low. What makes the most sense to me is simply removing energy from the engineering system altogether. The amount of energy is generally trivial and the ability to upgrade is already tempered by the scarcity of engineering points.
-BUS was the first thing I got fully upgraded and...it made me sad. A void was created by not having armor upgrades for it anymore. That or the other upgrades are too cheap (especially the taser ones) so it's easy to get to the end.

Weapons
-Shotgun:
--Useless against shields.
--Cooldown mechanic makes it dangerous to use against shielded enemies.
--The fact it doesn't cooldown itself over time is kind of silly.
--It may be overpowered against Elon's squad but it's mostly worthless (and great way to get killed) against Odin's squad.
--Can kill turrets hidding in the ground.
-KAR should have three behaviors:
--Unzoomed: full auto (unchanged damage)
--2x should be changed to 1.25x or 1.5x and fire 3-round bursts (same damage per shot as full auto).
--3.5x should be changed to 6x or 8x and fire the single shot sniper round (damage unchanged from what it is now).
-KAR upgrade that trades energy generation for dampening needs explanation of what's going on. I mean, why would a gun generate energy? Because recycling casings. Makes sense, but doesn't say that anywhere.
-KAR (and other items with long descriptions in inventory) has an auto-scrolling feature that's annoying on PC. Something like that may have to be done for the console version though. Actually, the whole inventory system may need to be rethought for controllers.

Miscellaneous
-Escape key didn't work during the XO-1 Voice conversation.
-I think I tried to put my shotgun away while it was streaming and the shotgun got stuck looking like this. Even if I dropped it and picked it up again, it kept glowing. Saving and loading fixed it but if memory serves, it caused a duplication bug (ended up with two partially upgraded shotguns in inventory):

► Show Spoiler

-Phased Matter Detector upgrade is available before encountering an Icer:

I believe this is from the same save as the Janitor: Hotel Lobby save above:https://youtu.be/fUHZGDnig_k
0:00 notice that the snow doesn't go away until I enter the corridor with all the red transponder elevators.
0:20 the red transponder elevator doesn't come. If it does eventually, I'm tired of waiting for it. On that note: the low velocity elevators to prevent player escape could probably be ignored when the player isn't in the elevator. Less waiting if it really is just moving that slow...
3:14 IDGI tunnel warning when there no longer is an IDGI tunnel here.
3:57 turbines aren't spinning but they still hurt...a little bit.
5:10 escape the tunnels into the wet void.

No video of this but the water hub is ridiculous. Specifically:
1) lack of save points
2) lack of recyclables
3) electrified floor with switches basically in it and no clear means to disable the electricity
4) many areas require use of the FFS which, good luck if you don't have energy (see #2)
5) FFS responds too forcefully to minor collisions
6) FFS not having jump work to go up when flying parallel to Earth make maintaining altitude and slowing decent needlessly complicated

Some really great posts above. A bunch of stuff is already on the list but lots of this is exactly what we're looking for, so thanks.

The WaterHub is very much supposed to be extremely deadly and difficult. It allows one to bypass things that otherwise require other types of gameplay (combat or diplomacy), so it's not designed to be "friendly" to players, at all. Going in with with upgrades and lots of energy is required. Also there are quite a few juicy recyclables but a lot of them are hidden.

That said, we hear the feedback regardless. You can expect more save spots and a few more hidden recyclables in the next update.

"3) electrified floor with switches basically in it and no clear means to disable the electricity" -- Yep, forcing you into the electricity to continue - if you don't have the energy or upgraded gear to handle it, it's time to backtrack!

"4) many areas require use of the FFS which, good luck if you don't have energy (see #2)" -- Actually other than fans that are too strong and trap you, there shouldn't be any areas that truly REQUIRE a FFS.... ?

trying to pass that hatch causes a crash, my way there was, go down tower 1 ventilation all the way to 212121 then go down to the lobby enter the waterways by the frozen pool's and go up to the vents around the cell.

crash report on attachments, also this hatch switch on the lobby don't work

"3) electrified floor with switches basically in it and no clear means to disable the electricity" -- Yep, forcing you into the electricity to continue - if you don't have the energy or upgraded gear to handle it, it's time to backtrack!

"4) many areas require use of the FFS which, good luck if you don't have energy (see #2)" -- Actually other than fans that are too strong and trap you, there shouldn't be any areas that truly REQUIRE a FFS.... ?

They were both talking about the same room with electirifed floor and four switches. I don't think any of the switches are reachable without the FFS because there's columns abstructing all the paths horizontally. The two on the water line are also unreachable without using FFS either to stay out of the water, or to get out of the water. My FFS had two regular shields and I had less than 2-3 seconds to death. Even my fully upgraded BUS with 5 upgraded shields (all upgrades were costing 100+ EP at that point) lost 2-3 shields by the time I switched to the FFS and flew out of the water.

I think the damage of that water needs to be reduced or, at bare minimum, a save point right there so if you fail, you can try again. If the latter, it can still become a trial of patience.

Another suggestion is to allow the multiboost upgrade for the BUS to work in water.

All of the switches can be reached with super jumping and ledge grabbing. It's true that the two in the water are tricky because of the water and turrets. You don't need the FFS to get out of the water, though - you can ledge grab out of it with the center platform.

Second video, I pushed around a bunch of benches and tried to make it crash via roof door. Failing that, I went back inside and was caught off guard that some of the benches were locked again. That's when I noticed all the save sphere spam in the console. For some reason, the benches unlocked again so I went cow bench tipping for a while. I tried the roof streaming door and it didn't crash. I tried the interior door and it did crash. Typical Rama K2Node crash again.https://youtu.be/00-E1HHdPvU

"Turning the Tables - Speak to the Consortium Traitor" randomly achieved for me today when I spoke with the "traitor." It was never achieved in previous games but today for some reason it worked? No idea why since I read it was bugged.

Manic wrote:turrets instantly damaging you instead of a wind up or warning of any kind, combat is currently stand and shoot, charge jump needs a lot of work, along with the freefall suit being near useless to even go 10 meters down at a 45 degree angle

Had a player experience this upon using the Steam Overlay. It may be related to ResolutionQuality being out of bounds (like -998). I tried to replicate this myself and it failed to reproduce (got pixelated, not a box inside of a box as shown):

► Show Spoiler

Same user also entered combat faster than expected, likely because agitation rises too fast (as in jumps from 5 to 9). I think the randomness of the jump is a bad thing. It should just rise incrementally and open fire at 9. The randomness presents as a bug even though it isn't. Two more suggestions here:
1) Make aggitation "jump" up if you startle them (e.g. you're less than 10' away when they notice you).
2) If you're going to keep the randomness, how about having a pull of VO lines to pull from that signify the next will be a fire fight. For example, they could say "trigger finger getting itchy" or "stop skulking around Bishop!"

There really needs to be a quicksave or something after Malcolm is done talking because the conversations between the save point and the surprise fight are so long and the failure rate of that fight is high. Additionally, the game should check for and auto equip:
1) If BUS is fully repaired, equip it.
2) If shields are fully repaired, equip them in the BUS if they aren't already
3) If Assault Rifle is fully repaired, equip it.
4) If Combat Shotgun is fully repaired, equip it instead of the AR.
That way, without even thinking, you're better prepared to deal with what is about to hit. You could even do a little IDGI signal loss while this is happening and throw something in the IDGI box at the top saying "Player Assistance Executed" or something.

Player wasn't sure how to use grenades. I told him he needs KAR. He says he's screwed (not enough energy to repair it) because he doesn't have energy, ammo, or guns to survive after escaping Malcolm.

I've not noticed any bullets penetrate anything they're not supposed to. Might be able to speed up velocity a bit more.

1) Swimming perpendicular to a fan and getting sucked to your death. Solution: use exponential force on the sucking. It's only inescapable if you're right next to it.

2) Electrified water that kills almost instantly (that whole room in general is awful). If you don't have the FFS and a lot of energy, it isn't even worth trying. Solution: reduce the damage of the electricity to next to nothing or add a switch to disable it in the room somewhere.

3) The duct maze is good on the roof because you can use the automap and some logic to eliminate routes. That doesn't work with the waterhub maze. Solution: Allow the automap to work in the "Unknown Interference" area.

4) Can't tell if a fan is sucking or blowing looking directly at it. Solution: make them glow red on the sucking side and green on the exhaust side. If glowing is too costly, color the blades to indicate sucking and blowing sides.

5) Not enough save spheres. Every time I died, I had to cover a lot of distance to get back to where I was. Solution: add more save spheres.

This one isn't a bug but just showing how:
a) 3.5x isn't enough zoom.
b) no gravity so sniping like this is super easy.
c) time between shot and impact.https://youtu.be/n4Welyx-Y6E

I accidentally rolled the wheel instead of clicking it (to change zoom). The important thing to note here is that, in the thick of combat, how difficult it is to get the KAR reselected for many reasons:
a) weapons aren't automatically equipped when the wheel is rolled, only selected.
b) other crap is in the bar including armor and stealth nodes.
c) which item is highlighted doesn't stand out from the rest.https://youtu.be/D_8XI1NXnSk

I think AI should auto-detect player if within 1m. When something is in feeling distance, it's nigh impossible to stay hidden. Stealth node could/should break that rule.https://youtu.be/YZstVPH80iY

I feel like a midget at the end of the elevator ride because the crouch/stand height is so low to the floor. It fixes itself on disembarking but, awkward.https://youtu.be/roetgnHO3ro

Having a gun out completely changes how FFS works. Apparently the axis are fixed to the same as standing; however, I run into the same issue as FFS in general: the platform I need to get to is just above me and I can't get there because pushing jump means turning the FFS off. So I decide to put it away and then the next bug presents itself. The KAR is glowy and when I try to put it away, it's automatically pulling the CEAR out. When I try to put the CEAR away, it automatically gets the KAR out. I eventually look at my inventory to see that *neither* are equipped. So I recycle the CEAR and it doesn't fix anything. Also try manually equipping and unequipping the KAR. Nothing works. I ended up loading a save...all because I can't fly up a few feet. https://youtu.be/Pi6IobWr4Oo

Pretty sure I reported getting stuck here before. It's between those water tanks in the water hub and the hotel lobby.https://youtu.be/d6rEuffimvg

There's a piece of pipe that isn't rendering in the Automap circled in red:

► Show Spoiler

I found the place to get that achievement why I set off on this in the first place and..."talk anywhere" is broken. That or I pushed the wrong key, but I doubt it. Trying again now...

Edit: I was told that this is probably caused by alt+tab, which I did, to stop music that was playing so I could hear him talk. Apparently I needed to left click to fix "talk anywhere" but I didn't want to do that for fear of making him attack me. Seems plausible that alt+tab broke it.

Edit: Checked my "talk" bind it matches the key I'm pushing. It isn't working on a second attempt. All that work for more bugs.

Also, it's really difficult, if not impossible, to get out of the water in this area. 2/2 I had to equip the FFS and fly out.

Last edited by FordGT90Concept on Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:51 am, edited 1 time in total.